Reading Logic

“The Greek word logos has several different meanings. It can mean ‘word, thought, reason, or order’ ” (Writing and Rhetoric pg. 70). Logos is what causes the reader to see the writer’s logic. It’s what allows the reader to see where the writer was coming from. It helps the reader see why one should believe what the author believes.

In the article Congratulations, Graduate. Now Leave the USA, the USA Today explores the issue of refusing jobs to immigrants. It says “Around this time each year, thousands of foreign students graduate with science and engineering degrees from U.S. universities. Many are eager to start in America and contribute to the U.S economy. So does the United States welcome them with open arms? No, the government tells thousands of them to hit the road—and take their sought-after skills and brainpower to countries and companies that compete with the USA” (par.1-2). The article goes on to explore the idea that this is self-defeating policy—allowing other countries to make a profit at America’s expense. The USA Today journalist gives points that are crucial to the argument and oftentimes includes links so that one can continue to read up on the issue. The author not only clearly states his case, but he also makes it so that the reader can see through his thought process and logic.

The undeniable usurpation of American's right to security

One of the most frightening debates on illegal immigration is on crime. Many believe that by allowing them to be here we are increasing our crime rate in this country. Many others believe that such a fear is ungrounded, and illegal's cause no more harm to our country than a pesticide to an apple, perhaps it changes the taste a little, but if anything it is only beneficial and not detrimental. Such is the nature of the debate, perhaps some have lived nearby an immigrant and grown to love them, but inevitably at the same time some have grown to hate them. And so one must tread softly when trying to skirt this issue. In this article Heather Mac Donald uses a very good combination of ethos and pathos, but the backbone of her article is her logos, and the evidence that it presents on such an issue.

Much of the beginning of her argument is using eyewitness participants in this war against crime, citing many police officers who have fought on ground zero for many years: " 'We can’t even talk about it,' says a frustrated LAPD captain. 'People are afraid of a backlash from Hispanics.' Another LAPD commander in a predominantly Hispanic, gang-infested district sighs: 'I would get a firestorm of criticism if I talked about [enforcing the immigration law against illegals].' Neither captain would speak for attribution."(par. 3)

Next she goes on to cite statistics giving her logos even more solid footing.

"In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens.

• A confidential California Department of Justice study reported in 1995 that 60 percent of the 20,000-strong 18th Street Gang in southern California is illegal; police officers say the proportion is actually much greater. The bloody gang collaborates with the Mexican Mafia, the dominant force in California prisons, on complex drug-distribution schemes, extortion, and drive-by assassinations, and commits an assault or robbery every day in L.A. County. The gang has grown dramatically over the last two decades by recruiting recently arrived youngsters, most of them illegal, from Central America and Mexico.

• The leadership of the Columbia Lil’ Cycos gang, which uses murder and racketeering to control the drug market around L.A.’s MacArthur Park, was about 60 percent illegal in 2002, says former assistant U.S. attorney Luis Li. Francisco Martinez, a Mexican Mafia member and an illegal alien, controlled the gang from prison, while serving time for felonious reentry following deportation."(par. 8-10)

What would an audience think after hearing such facts? Most would probably come away thinking that illegals were horrible and were destroying our country. That is the phenomenal moving power of logos. It causes us to think and broadens our minds, allowing us to see new spectrums. The author uses it well. She lays down evidence from eyewitness policemen to scientific data, but one problem with logos is a logical argument can tell the truth but in fact not tell the whole truth.

For example, a young boy who wants to go play with a friend whom his mother doesn't approve of. If he is smart and wants to use logic to further his case, he'll just ask her if he can go play with a friend, maybe even cite another friend who might be there, but he will be sure not to let his mother know the whole truth. Logos must be done with great care. And it is no different with this article. The author furthers her cause, but will a reader receive all the information to make an educated decision? We will see. The first stat she cites is that in L.A. over 95 percent of warrants for homicides target illegal aliens. Now the question is how her logic fits here, because earlier she already established that policemen aren't allowed to ask about a person's legal status. So how does the police department come to know that 95 percent of their warrants are for illegals. Perhaps the reason is because they are "outstanding", which would imply that they haven't been caught yet. And an audience may remember the words "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law." So to say that we have warrants for 1,200 illegal immigrants who have no papers and no real way for us to identify them is a bit of a stretch. Indeed perhaps it is only 95 percent because the police actually, and only have an inkling as to whom the other 5 percent are.

My point is that her logic is great, but readers must remember that telling the truth does not create irrefutable evidence. Indeed it only creates gaps in that ever so elusive reasoning power of logic.

Parker is Pro Immigration

Laura Parker wrote an article for USA Today called "USA just wouldn't work without immigration labor." She believes that immigrant workers are a positive attribute to the United State's economy. Because immigration is usually a negative subject, Parker would need to some logical and powerful reasons as to why immigration is positive. Phil has already posted on the logos of this article. He commented on how Parker's logos was not strong enough. Although I understand and agree with what he said, I found moments in the article where Parker's logos was pretty strong.

According to Gary Layne Hatch, "logos has a broader meaning than logic." Logos is "arguing through reasoning," it is "rational thought through language," and "appeals to our ability to think." So the information in an argument should make the reader really think about what was said and then formulate their own opinion.

One of the very first things Parker says in her article is that immigrants "fill low-income jobs scorned by American citizens." (Para. 2) That sentence should make the reader think about that jobs that they "scorn" and if those jobs are taken up by immigrants. For example, I don't like working fast food. When I am looking for a new job I will not apply to any fast food places. And if you look at places like McDonalds, Taco Bell and Wendy's, a good portion of their crew are hispanic immigrants.

To go along with the above paragraph, Parker quotes John Gay, a lobbyist for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, who is pro immigration. He says that as Americans we "push our own children into college to be rocket scientists or computer programmers." (Para. 6) With Americans getting better education degrees, they will be going after the higher jobs, leaving the lower jobs for the immigrants. I look at my own life as an example. My fiance and I are born U.S. citizen college students. We will graduate with a Bachelor's in our different areas and get pretty decent jobs. His parents, however, are legal immigrants from El Salvidor. They did not get past an elementary education, so they can only get a lower job. But it's very nice that they can still find one.

In paragraph 11, Parker says that immigration is part of America's history. The examples she gives are the European immigrants that built the Brooklyn Bridge and the Chinese immigrants that built the railroads connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific. This should make the reader think about other historical examples of immigrants helping out America. The one that came to my mind was the Irish factory workers during the industrial revolution.

Laura Parker's article on immigration gives enough information and good examples for the reader to really think about what she is saying. The reader should use what she says to think about their own life or information that they might already know. They should then put the two together and create their own opinion. In making this possible, Parker's article has great logos in it.